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Reuters
Iranian president arrives in Moscow for treaty signing with Putin, TASS says
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the signing of a strategic partnership treaty between the two countries, Russia's TASS state news agency reported. Pezekshian, on his first Kremlin visit since winning the presidency last July after the death in a helicopter crash of his predecessor, is due to hold talks with Putin focusing on bilateral ties and international issues before signing the treaty. Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other countries hostile towards the U.S., such as North Korea, since the start of the Ukraine war, and has strategic pacts with Pyongyang and close ally Belarus, as well as a strategic partnership agreement with China.
TODAY
How much should teen babysitters charge? Mom calls the going rate 'outrageous'
One California mom is calling out teenagers for their “outrageous” babysitting rates.
AFP
'No money': gloom on Beijing streets as economic growth slows
Consumers pinching pennies, businesses seeing fewer customers, and a pervading sense that the economy just isn't bouncing back -- the mood was grim in Beijing as China posted some of its lowest growth in decades."For us who do business, it's obvious that there are much fewer customers coming to our store, and customers' consumption levels don't compare to before," Yang said.
AFP
Asian traders give mixed reaction as China's economic growth slows
Asian markets were mixed Friday as data showing China's economy grew slightly quicker than expected last year failed to inspire investors, with Beijing battling to revive consumption and boost the battered property sector.The five percent expansion was in line with the target set by Beijing but the weakest since 1990 -- excluding the pandemic years -- as leaders fought to address weak consumption and a painful debt crisis in the vast property sector.
Reuters
Trump the saviour? Anxious Ukrainians question president's power to end war
Liudmyla Parybus isn't holding her breath for the incoming U.S. president to end the war in Ukraine. Her sense of scepticism is shared by many Ukrainians who have scant faith in Donald Trump's promises to swiftly strike a peace deal after he enters the White House on Monday. Hanna Horbachova, 55, isn't pinning her family's future on a negotiated end to the conflict, which has ground on for almost three years since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Reuters
Ukraine's air force says it downed 33 Russian drones launched overnight
Ukrainian air defences downed 33 of 50 drones launched by Russia overnight, the air force said on Friday. It said 9 drones were "lost", in reference to Ukraine's use of electronic warfare to redirect Russian drones, while one left Ukraine in the direction of Romania. "Hostile attack drones hit enterprises in Odesa region, and buildings of institutions, private businesses and households in Kharkiv, Cherkasy and Kyiv regions were damaged as a result of the fall of downed enemy drones," the military said on the Telegram messaging app.
Reuters
ICC prosecutor sees 'no real effort' by Israel to probe alleged Gaza war crimes
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has defended his decision to bring war crimes allegations against Israel's prime minister, saying Israel had made "no real effort" to investigate the allegations itself. In an interview with Reuters, he stood by his decision over the arrest warrant despite a vote last week by the U.S. House of Representatives to sanction the ICC in protest, a move he described as "unwanted and unwelcome".
AFP
South Korea's Yoon refuses questioning again
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday again refused investigators' efforts to question him over his failed martial law bid, as the deadline on his detention neared. But his bid lasted just six hours, as the soldiers he directed to storm parliament failed to stop lawmakers from voting to reject martial law.
Associated Press
3 lawyers for the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny are jailed by a Russian court
Three lawyers who once represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were jailed Friday in Russia as part of the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent that has reached levels unseen since Soviet times. Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin and Alexei Liptser were jailed from 3 1/2 to five years by a court in the town of Petushki, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Moscow. The case was widely seen as a way to increase pressure on the opposition to discourage defense lawyers from taking political cases.
Reuters
Three Navalny lawyers sentenced to years in Russian penal colony for extremist activity
LONDON (Reuters) -Three lawyers for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny were found guilty by a Russian court on Friday of belonging to an extremist group and sentenced to years in a penal colony. Igor Sergunin, Alexei Liptser and Vadim Kobzev were arrested in October 2023 and added the following month to an official list of "terrorists and extremists". Human rights activists say the prosecution of lawyers who defend people speaking out against the authorities and the war in Ukraine crosses a new threshold in the repression of dissent under President Vladimir Putin.
Time
Here Is Who Is Attending Trump’s Inauguration
The guest list includes some of America’s most influential tech billionaires and politicians as well as some foreign leaders and celebrities who have embraced Trump.
Reuters
Thai PM to reassure Chinese tourists on security ahead of Lunar New Year
Thailand is stepping up security for tourists to restore the confidence of Chinese visitors, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday after an alleged kidnapping of a Chinese actor sparked concerns about the safety of travellers. Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, and China is the biggest single market for Thailand. "I have instructed security agencies to raise the level of security for tourists."
Associated Press
French president in Lebanon to meet the country's new leaders and discuss ceasefire with Israel
France’s president began a visit to Lebanon Friday, where he will meet the crisis-hit country’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Lebanon, his first in more than four years, follows a 60-day ceasefire deal that aims to end the war. France helped broker the deal and a French officer is a member of the committee that is supervising the truce, which went into effect on Nov. 27.
CNN
A father at the bedside of his son, a surfer and a woman who stayed behind with her beloved pets are among wildfire victims
An amputee and his son with cerebral palsy were among the 24 deaths in the fires raging around Los Angeles. The father was found at his son’s bedside.
NBC News
California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, maps, what caused them, who is affected and more
Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted last week and roared across the Los Angeles area, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least 27 people, including some who died trying to prevent the fires from engulfing their homes.
Associated Press
Pakistani court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and 7 years in prison in graft case
A Pakistani court on Friday sentenced the country’s already-imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and seven years in jail after finding them guilty of corruption, officials and his lawyer said. The couple are accused of accepting a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money when Khan was in power. Prosecutors say the businessman, Malik Riaz, was then allowed by Khan to pay fines that were imposed on him in another case from the same laundered money of 190 million British pounds ($240 million) that was returned to Pakistan by British authorities in 2022 to deposit to the national exchequer.
AFP
Japan marks 30th anniversary of deadly Kobe quake
Thousands of people marked on Friday the 30th anniversary of an earthquake that claimed more than 6,400 lives and levelled much of the Japanese city of Kobe.The Ishikawa region is still struggling to recover from a huge New Year's Day earthquake last year that killed around 500 people and destroyed houses and infrastructure.
AFP
Nintendo shares down on detail-light Switch 2 teaser
Nintendo shares tumbled as much as seven percent on Friday after the Japanese games giant failed to impress with a teaser video of its hotly awaited Switch 2 console.Nintendo shares closed 4.3 percent lower in Tokyo on Friday.
AFP
China says population fell for third year in a row in 2024
China said on Friday its population fell for the third year running in 2024, extending a downward streak after more than six decades of growth as the country faces a rapidly ageing population and persistently low birth rates.Once the world's most populous country, China was overtaken by India in 2023, with Beijing seeking to boost falling birth rates through subsidies and pro-fertility propaganda.
Reuters
KKR hires Goldman for selling stake in Philippine fintech Maya, sources say
Global investment firm KKR has appointed Goldman Sachs for the sale of its significant minority stake in Philippine fintech company Maya, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. New York-headquartered KKR owns more than 20% of Maya and the potential sale, if it goes through, could value Maya at more than $2 billion, one of the sources said. Maya said it was unable to comment and referred Reuters' request to KKR.

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Latest Stories

Iranian president arrives in Moscow for treaty signing with Putin, TASS says

How much should teen babysitters charge? Mom calls the going rate 'outrageous'

'No money': gloom on Beijing streets as economic growth slows

Asian traders give mixed reaction as China's economic growth slows

Trump the saviour? Anxious Ukrainians question president's power to end war

Ukraine's air force says it downed 33 Russian drones launched overnight

ICC prosecutor sees 'no real effort' by Israel to probe alleged Gaza war crimes

South Korea's Yoon refuses questioning again

3 lawyers for the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny are jailed by a Russian court

Three Navalny lawyers sentenced to years in Russian penal colony for extremist activity

Here Is Who Is Attending Trump’s Inauguration

Thai PM to reassure Chinese tourists on security ahead of Lunar New Year

French president in Lebanon to meet the country's new leaders and discuss ceasefire with Israel

A father at the bedside of his son, a surfer and a woman who stayed behind with her beloved pets are among wildfire victims

California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, maps, what caused them, who is affected and more

Pakistani court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and 7 years in prison in graft case

Japan marks 30th anniversary of deadly Kobe quake

Nintendo shares down on detail-light Switch 2 teaser

China says population fell for third year in a row in 2024

KKR hires Goldman for selling stake in Philippine fintech Maya, sources say